Author Archives: klient

VCHD Cargo realizes a large part of its business through regular lines. There are currently almost 80 direct lines from the Czech Republic to 14 countries. Despite the current complicated situation in Europe, a new line between Erfurt and Rotterdam started at the beginning of April.

VCHD Cargo ensures regular lines for both export and import. For the most part, the transports are carried out in double-deck swap bodies. “The swap bodies are always designed for larger quantities of palletized goods with an average weight of approx. 250kg each. We use this technology for our customers wherever there is a large exchange of goods and where there are high demands for fast delivery, ”says Petr Kozel, CEO of VCHD Cargo.

VCHD Cargo also uses double-deck semi-trailers with a temperature control for its own lines. These are used for the transport of food but also for the transport of dangerous goods. These so-called “frigos” are equipped with an aggregate and a thermometer, which can also be controlled and checked remotely and of course also a contact thermometer is a standard equipment. In the double-decker variant, the second floor is flexible and independent of the loading area. Depending on the type of goods to be transported, the second floor can only be installed, for example, in the front part of the loading area, where lower pallets can be positioned one above the other. The rest can be loaded with pallets up to 2.7 m high. With full use of the double-decker variant, the trailer can take up to 66 pallets.

The second important aspect of regular transport is the reliability and speed of the transport carried out by VCHD Cargo. The fleet is fully utilized thanks to the appropriate personnel strategy. The vehicles are usually traveling with two drivers and on long lines, e.g. to southern Europe, these double crews can even switch with second crew. In this way, the journey continues and the drivers spend their mandatory rest periods in company apartments along the main European traffic axes.

VCHD Cargo’s fleet currently has 160 tractors and 180 trailers. On average, the technology reaches the age of 3 years and 100% of the pulling units meet the emission standards of Euroclass 6. All vehicles are equipped as standard for the transport of dangerous goods according to the ADR convention. The VCHD Cargo lines regularly serve more than 70 destinations across Europe and information about the current location of the cargo is available to the customer at all times thanks to GPS.

Is the hazardous cargo market about to change?

Hazardous cargo does not include just explosives, petrol and industrial gasses. Just ask any producer of household cleaning products or cosmetics. Few people know that according to the ADR treaty hazardous materials include nail polish, house plant fertilizers, car detailing products as well as disinfectant gels and sprays. Even fewer people wonder how the current extraordinary situation might affect availability of labour necessary for the transport of hazardous goods.

VCHD Cargo keeps on top of changing rules for the transport of hazardous cargo and has been a specialist in ADR cargo services for years. The company has its own fleet of 160 vehicles all of which have standard equipment for hazardous cargo transport and 80% of its transport capacity is used for hazardous products.

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has affect ADR transport, too – all new training and mandatory regular training has been suspended until further notice. The ADR treaty clearly defines who is allowed to transport hazardous goods – “employees of hazardous cargo transport companies whose job responsibilities include hazardous cargo transport. These individuals must be properly trained in hazardous cargo regulations appropriately to their level of responsibility and job description.”

Due to recent measures to combat the novel coronavirus, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe decided to extend the validity of ADR driver cards (24 states agreed as of April 1). The validity of all driver training certificates that expire between March 1, 2020 and November 1, 2020 will be extended until November 30, 2020 and it will be possible to extend them further upon the completion of renewal training. However, VCHD Cargo expects to see a lack of ADR-approved drivers in the market in the near future. All VCHD Cargo drivers hold ADR certificates, are regularly trained and have years of experience with the transport and handling of such sensitive cargo. “At this point, our company’s priority is to retain our current specialists,” says VCHD Cargo, a.s. chairman Ing. Petr Kozel, adding that “on the other hand, we expect a potential increase in demand for hazardous cargo transport services once the COVID-19-related restrictions are lifted.”

This “Footnotes” section is a space for us to share our views on issues related to transport and logistics, a topic that is far too often reduced to a discussion on the state of highways and truck drivers’ behaviour. Sometimes, our opinion may not please everybody and sometimes they may be quite controversial. But they are always founded on our years of experience with the transport market.

This time, however, let us start on a positive note (the negative angle will soon follow, though) – VCHD Cargo‘s services are still in full operation both in the Czech Republic and in Germany where we have a local subsidiary. Our drivers continue to deliver goods even to customers in the hardest-hit parts of Spain and Italy and we are still able to guarantee 48-hour delivery to anywhere in Europe.

So much for the good news. Many of you might have heard reports that Czech carriers worry about a potential collapse of the transport market – trucks are pulled off the roads, companies must continue to pay fixed costs while customers’ payment morale is decreasing. Businesses lack money for wages and drivers are losing their jobs. To be honest, VCHD Cargo has felt the significant cooling of the market due to coronavirus measures, too, but we took the decision not to fire a single employee. However, we feel it necessary to mention something that has not been discussed in the media yet.

Carriers are among companies that contribute the most to the national budget. (We can prove this claim on the example of our own company: in 2019, VCHD Cargo generate revenues of CZK 720 million and paid approx. CZK 220 million to the state in various taxes.) The tax burden on transport companies in our country is more than 30% – including excise tax, highway toll, income tax, social and health insurance. Furthermore, carriers often serve as a source of interest-free credit. They typically pay their liabilities to the state within 14 days while customers usually pay their invoices in 60 or even more days. It is rather ironic that the only support Czech carriers have received so far during this crisis is a suspension of road taxes and tolls. We anxiously await the time when the handouts granted to anybody who complains loud enough in the media will have to be paid back.

Will transport businesses once again become the target of unprofessional politicians demanding that they foot the bill without any relief? If so, we may be facing an even greater shortage of drivers and even transport business in the near future d .

VCHD Cargo has decided not to fire anybody. We cannot bear the thought of leaving our drivers to cope with this situation on their own. But we must stress that we are greatly concerned about the situation. We find it really concerning that the state is unable to support one of the most affected markets, which also provides one of the fundamental services necessary for the functioning of our society, despite the fact that this market has paid disproportionate amounts to the state budget for decades.

Pressures to protect the environment are increasing around the world. There has been a lot of talk of alternative technologies and new concepts. At the moment, however, there are no feasible, mass-produced technologies that could fully replace diesel engines in European trucks. One solution that can reduce our carbon footprint right now, though, is cost-efficient driving. VCHD Cargo insists on cost-efficient driving in all its operations.

VCHD Cargo vehicles are travelling across Europe nearly every day and constant driving optimisation is one of our company’s main priorities. We regularly review the routes of our regular lines with the aim to reduce the number of empty kilometres. We work with our customers to maximise the efficiency of space utilisation in our trucks and we motivate drivers to driver in the most cost-efficient way possible. “We have defined principles of cost-efficient driving and implemented tools that track the application of these rules,” VCHD Cargo a.s. chairman Ing. Petr Kozel explains, adding: “This includes minimisation of high-rev time, using engine idling and cruise control, smart breaking and, of course, sticking to the speed limit, etc.” Drivers get bonuses if they drive in a cost-efficient and environment-friendly way. According to Petr Kozel, safe driving is the absolutely fundamental rule and a second nature for all professional drivers.

“We approach our business responsibly and with respect for our environment and we teach these principles to all our colleagues,” Petr Kozel added. VCHD Cargo uses vehicles that meet the highest emission standards and in most cases transports cargo in modular bodies that allow the best use of the loading capacity. Furthermore, the company’s branch in Havlíčkův Brod uses electricity generated in its own photovoltaic plant.